Koch Institute Approaches to Cancer

The initial strategic research plan for the Koch Institute revolves around five target areas critical for rapid progress toward controlling cancer. Research and development in each of these target areas involves cross-disciplinary teams of faculty, students, and staff – and will also encompass collaborations with clinical centers and industry.

1. Developing nanotechnology-based cancer therapeutics

Using nanoscale particles loaded with chemotherapeutic agents – and covered with homing molecules that allow them to selectively bind to cancer cells – our investigators are building a new class of "smart bombs" for cancer. These functionalized nanoparticles hold the promise of both reducing toxicity and improving efficacy of a wide range of existing anti-cancer agents. Nanotechnology is also being applied to RNA interference (RNAi), which can be used to silence genes in many biological systems. RNAi could be used to inhibit the function of virtually any cancer-causing gene.
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2. Creating novel devices for cancer detection and monitoring

Better detection is key to achieving better outcomes. We are creating nanoscale imaging agents and other sensors, and developing highly sensitive molecular and cellular detection methods using micro-electromechanical systems. These tools and devices can also be deployed to monitor tumors. By combining implantable detection technologies with telemetry, we can monitor whether a cancer is in remission or undergoing relapse. In time, such devices may incorporate micro-scale drug delivery systems that automatically release therapeutic drugs when cancer cells are detected.
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3. Exploring the molecular and cellular basis of metastasis

Roughly 90% of all cancer deaths are due not to the primary tumor itself but to the effects of the metastatic spread of the disease. Yet virtually nothing is known about this process. How do cancer cells leave their primary site? How do they traverse through the blood system and take up residence elsewhere? In our Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology we are identifying the genes that encourage metastatic spread and the pathways that allow cancer cells to survive and thrive in distant sites in the body.
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4. Conducting systematic analysis of cancer pathways and drug resistance

Because cancer cells mutate, they are able to proliferate, survive, and, in some cases, resist efforts to destroy them. Using genomic and proteomic analyses, computational modeling, and functional testing in sophisticated animal models, Koch Institute investigators are working to uncover the key pathways that allow cancer cells to keep dividing and remain alive. When this "wiring diagram" of cancer cells is complete, it will be possible to develop new strategies to control the disease and combat acquired resistance.
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5. Engineering the immune system to fight cancer

Cancer cells are fundamentally different from normal cells; therefore, the immune system ought to be able to recognize cancer cells as foreign and destroy them. Clearly, however, either the immune system is not equipped to recognize the changes that occur in cancer, or else tumors evolve mechanisms to elude the immune response. Believing that the immune system can play a role in the fight against cancer, a team of immunologists and biological engineers are exploring how tumors evade immune recognition and to develop methods to overcome these mechanisms.
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